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News Page
 News of the local companies

Issue 278
(OBP-491)
Tuesday 19th November 2008

(next update week ending 29th November 2008)

Now ten years old

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 News of the local companies – 19th November 2008

I refer readers to the link below where you will find pictures of the new Citaros for line 300. When viewing this page and the pictures therein there does seem to a problem with the shade of blue used on these buses. Hence this may be the reason for the long delay on the entry into service. 

http://www.arriva-shires.co.uk/

Les Ansell sent me details of the registrations and fleet numbers.

BK58URM 3919
BK58URN 3920
BK58URO 3921
BK58URP 3922
BK58URR 3923
BK58URS 3924

Les has kindly provided some excellent photos of the new buses.

Les also advises that the seven new Enviro 400 deckers for the 280 are now very close to delivery. December should be a big month for Aylesbury depot.

Matthew Robinson kindly sent pictures of the new fleet in use on the 321 saying "I've so far managed to photograph six of the eight Mercedes Citaros on the 321. Unfortunately the other two, 3911 and 3915, were both parked in the dark depths of Garston depot during both days I was out armed with a camera."

Matt goes on to say "I spoke to James Smith last week who told me that the first of the six Citaros for Aylesbury had arrived and were being tested for the 300. I noticed in the photos he passed on that these buses differ from those on the 321 by not carrying air conditioning pods, but do have six hopper window vents compared to four on the Watford examples."

Regarding the new coaches for Green Line service 757 James adds "The first of the new coaches for the 757 have also arrived at Luton for driver testing. At least one was being road tested on Thursday."


Stevenage based Volvo B10BLE 3458 (W458XKX) has benefitted from a full re-spray into standard Arriva livery, losing its route branding like sister 3457.

Picture by Matthew Robinson.

Matt adds "Tuesday 17th November from Matt - Volvo B6 3131 (M711OMJ) has been damaged by an electrical fire this morning. It would appear a fault had been reported with the bus whilst on route 9, and the driver had taken the bus out of service and was returning to the depot when the incident occurred, not far from where 3125 went up a couple of years back."

Late news: Matt writes "Just a quick update – Luton garage have moved swiftly to declare 3131 as a write off. A replacement from Harlow has already arrived – B6 3124 (M724OMJ).

3124 is no stranger to Luton depot, having been based here from 1996 until 2005 when it moved to Ware (for Welwyn routes) and subsequently on to Harlow. It was also branded for route 27 for a time when in Shires blue and yellow livery. I have a picture of 3124 taken on a very wet day in Harlow! (which I will pass on later)."

Glenn Knight has sent some interesting pictures of the new Van Hool tri-axles under preparation for service at the dealers in Yorkshire.


Pictures by Glenn Knight

Glenn adds "Visited Van Hool where four of the new sixteen Tri-Axel coaches are, from L-R is 53147, 48, 46 & 52 . The five didget numbers are the body/chassis numbers. The coaches have a 9 litre engine. One of them is to be used by Arriva for driver training in the next few days.

The Chassis/body numbers are given below."

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53146 T917 Actron Van Hool 53146 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53147 T917 Actron Van Hool 53147 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53148 T917 Actron Van Hool 53148 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53149 T917 Actron Van Hool 53149 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53150 T917 Actron Van Hool 53150 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53151 T917 Actron Van Hool 53151 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53152 T917 Actron Van Hool 53152 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53153 T917 Actron Van Hool 53153 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53154 T917 Actron Van Hool 53154 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53155 T917 Actron Van Hool 53155 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53156 T917 Actron Van Hool 53156 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53157 T917 Actron Van Hool 53157 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53158 T917 Actron Van Hool 53158 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53159 T917 Actron Van Hool 53159 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53160 T917 Actron Van Hool 53160 C61F

??58 ??? VDL SB4000 YE2917SS345G53161 T917 Actron Van Hool 53161 C61F

It is not known if these coaches will be registered in chassis number order and indeed what their fleet numbers will be.

Glenn also adds that "..recently Volvo B10BLE 3264 - V264HBH was involved an accident in Dunstable."


I also took a picture of one of the new Citaros at Luton Airport.


One of Aylesbury's Dart MPD s 3829, once at Wycombe, is seen by Richard Sharman at Bicester on route 16.

Nigel Peach writes that ".... three or four weeks ago when I was passing Cressex whilst there appeared to be some damage to various buses but I went up there again this morning and although one of the F reg Olympians had a lot of broken windows, the other one and the two Ailsas were also there and now looking OK. The Darts seem to be withdrawn and L109HHV (the smartest of those Darts) is also parked up there (maybe now withdrawn too?). Then I had a great surprise.......

....a bus I'd not seen before - Dart DMS23 (S523 KFL) appeared - looking very smart in a green livery appeared. I wonder if it is going to be branded for a particular route? The driver very kindly paused while I took the attached photo (while the Park and Ride bus behind had to wait!)."

 

"Also attached is a general view of some of the buses parked at Cressex. I like the way that Carousel's four oldest Metrobuses are lined up in reverse numerical order (758, 737, 703 and 336) from left to right! Deliberate?!"

"I have read that the three Tridents are now with East London Bus Group with T402SMV now numbered 18875 in that fleet."

Charlbury Travel

Richard Sharman writes "Oxfordshire independent Charlbury Travel has recently acquired this smart Setra and Excalibur (with LEZ Compliant exhaust now fitted)."

  
http://www.citysightseeingoxford.com/

Richard Morgan writes "Tom Tappin Ltd (t/a City Sightseeing Oxford)

39 was withdrawn in October, but had not been used since mid September.

129 was withdrawn in November - its MOT expires 21/11.

Both are being stored at Tappins Coaches Ltd's Didcot depot, as are two of the four Dennis Tridents, whilst the other two are being converted at Osney Depot.

City Sightseeing Oxford is Tom Tappin Ltd t/a.  There is no connection with Tappins Coaches Ltd, which has a separate operator's licence and is associated with Heyfordian.

It is incorrect and inaccurate to link City Sightseeing Oxford with Tappins Coaches, which has never operated the Oxford tour.  It has been a franchise operated by Tom Tappin Ltd since prior to June 2002, when the Oxford Tour of Guide Friday was purchased from the Ensign Group."

Oops, sorry to all. Thanks to Richard for his correction.


Pictures by Gavin Francis.

Gavin Francis writes "I was interested to see that CSS Oxford are to get some new sightseeing buses. If they are the former Blue Triangle Tridents then these are the ones which were on Route 248 before it passed to East London Buses, who are using the former Carousel Tridents on this route until there new buses arrive. So Route 248 will have supplied and received buses from this area.

I have attached some pictures of the Blue Triangle Tridents whilst in service on the 248."


First picture of V902FEC ex Blue Triangle now under conversion at Osney Mead depot to open top.
From John Hammond.

Courtney Coaches  http://www.courtneycoaches.com/

John Hammond reports that "Courtney had their new double decker out on the M10 Milton Park shuttle this morning- 13th November 2008 , here is a picture from my camera phone of it at Parkway Station this morning."


RX58HVJ by John Hammond

Excel Stansted

An interesting addition o the double deck appeared recently and is shown below. I believe this Scania was new to Hull but has, I think, been somewhere else in between.

Geoff Amos


Geoff Amos V390KVY A surprise addition to the fleet in Banbury R Sharman

Richard Sharman writes "The two E200 operated on the Abingdon area routes now carry small stickers saying Operated by Tappins, this being the first real physical sign of Tappins being connected with the Heyfordian Group"


This Mercedes has now received bus fleet livery - Richard Sharman.


A nice shot of one of the new buses in use on the 116 seen at Carfax, Oxford - Richard Sharman.
 

Motts

Hedley Shanks writes "We have just bought a pair of Dublin Bus Olympians from a dealer in Ireland, we are refurbishing them ourselves as they are in as withdrawn condition. One is already here registered 93-D-10160 and we are getting the other one tomorrow (reg unknown until it turns up!!). They were apparently trainers.

We still haven’t received our second Olympian yet, but this one, you see, is in "as received" condition. I think it was RV 160 in the Dublin Bus fleet. We are going to put KSK  plates on these two as we still keep them on retention, from the DAF Plaxtons we use to own just a few years ago (KSK 966, 967 & 968)."


Pictures from Hedley Shanks of Motts

Hedley adds "We have just withdrawn F991XOE (engine fault) and we may withdraw E153OMD but this not final. Also withdrawn to be stored is 5874 MT & B10 MTT Volvo B10M’s. Acquired is Fosters’ S599SJF, B10M Mistral"

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

Richard Sharman writes "First Coaches, Bristol formerly Wessex of Bristol used to operate a number of NEx diagrams operating through Oxford but now they can only be seen in Oxford on the 302 to Bristol via Swindon."

One often sees coaches of the same type and only occasionally realises that there is a subtle difference. This is shown by example below on a Veolia Irizar PB which has a ventilation modification in the rear boot door.


NXL14 at Stansted on route 777.

I am advised that National Express have won the Chiltern Railways rail replacement contract from Frazer Eagle.

A surprise last week was the appearance of the two Volvo/Excalibur coaches retained for the summer, that have been reregistered. Gavin Francis secured pictures of both coaches and one wonders what the company intends to use the registrations for.


Pictures by Gavin Francis.

More interest has been raised by the appearance of super rear branding on the Irizar coaches which have been transferred from airport work o to the X90. 35-37 have appeared with Ashmolean advertising and 38 and 39 with route advertising.


Pictures by M Crowe, R Sharman and G Francis respectively.


Trident 102 has appeared in the new livery leaving only 104 and 105 in the old white top livery. Picture by Gavin Francis.

Plastow's of Wheatley


I think this is the first time we've caught these two together. Unlike earlier pictures they now have full livery.
This is modified when compared to earlier coaches.

R H Transport

Richard Sharman sent a nice picture of one their Solos in Burford with the Cotswolds in the background.

Glenn Knight sent the picture below of Olympian 16209 - R34TAC with a red poppy on the front on service 165 03/11/2008. Most appropriate considering the then approaching Remembrance Day celebrations.

Glenn adds that Bedford Volvo 16221 - R701DNH has now been resprayed back into Stagecoach swoops from the & quote : grass green livery. However it has still kept blue metal fleet number and Sylvia name.

Malcolm Audsley agreed to my publishing a picture he took of an old Oxford Tube T53BBW. A M A N 24.350 / Jonckheere Monaco, it's been with Barry's since August 2007 and was pictured in Winchester Broadway on November 15th.

This coach is interesting as it was the one used to carry wheelchairs in the early days and I took pictures of this work back in early days of this century.


Picture by Malcolm Audsley.


Gavin sent this picture of an ex Megabus Neoplan far from it normal route when seen in London.

Oxford's M A N 22931 is the latest repaint.  Solo 47236 has been transferred on loan to Oxford from Banbury whereas Dart 34466 has been transferred on a permanent basis to Banbury depot.

Terravision Coaches

Two interesting items from this company which operates Stansted-London Victoria services are as follows.


The latest delivery is not owned by Terravision but has legals for Scania UK.


This coach, one in Terravision colours is seen here in white but has since gained Excalibur logos.

uno Bus, Hatfield


Matt Robinson produced this picture of one of the 58 reg Citaros which recently joined the uno fleet.

Matt also advises that "Dennis Dart 563 (V563JBH) has been fully repainted into Uno livery. It previously carried a yellow overall ad for Papa John's, with Centrebus front."
 

 Woottens Coaches

It seems that Woottens are getting more National Express work and their coaches have been as far as Bristol in recent weeks.

They have also been doing some rail replacement work as seen in the pictures below by Terry Wong Min.


The coaches were on
the Clapham Junction-Surbiton (fast/Semi)/Chessington South/Epsom.

  

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